


It’s Just One Kiss

by MaxMustard



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Am I doing it right??, I’m sorry I don’t know how abuse works, Jasper and David are the most LOVEABLE gay dads, Jaspvid, M/M, Max admits that he wanted David to be his dad, Max is gay but he’s closeted, Maxneil, Max’s parents are hella homophobic, Max’s parents are neglective, OKAY I ADDED DADVID BECAUSE IM wEaK, They r in highschool now, dadvid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24730960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxMustard/pseuds/MaxMustard
Summary: Max was raised not religiously, but very politically. Meaning that his parents are not only neglectful, but homophobic as well. This would’ve been bad, but fine for Max. If he didn’t get butterflies every time he saw Neil.
Relationships: David/Jasper (Camp Camp), Max/Science Camp Neil (Camp Camp), Nerris/Nikki (Camp Camp)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

My parents weren’t abusive.

Well, that’s a lie.

They weren't  _ physically  _ abusive at least. They were neglective.

But, they were strict when they  _ did  _ pay attention to me. So there were many things they didn’t know.

A lot of them were minor things, sneaking out with friends sometimes, a secret stash of cash and food, a fake ID, and things like that. Well, that doesn’t  _ sound  _ minor, but it was compared to my biggest secret. 

All that other stuff?

Maybe I’d be grounded, or my shit would get taken away, or I’d be screamed at for an hour. 

But this?

Oh, they’d beat me to a pulp. I’d be murdered before they disowned me.

I was gay.

See, lemme paint you a picture, you’re a neglected child, you were raised not religiously but very politically, and you barely know what love feels like. Suddenly, one day, you realize your heart is beating, your face is growing redder, your stomach is swarmed with butterflies, and it’s all because you’re looking at somebody. But wait, this isn’t supposed to happen! You’re the same sex! That’s wrong, unnatural! Oh, but your heart is in the deep end now.

That’s where my old life ended and this story begins.


	2. That Sounded Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max breaks down in front of Neil about his regret and his hatred and all of it in just one blow. Neil comes up with a plan to help out Max, to end his abuse and neglect once and for all.

“Max, hey! Me and Nikki went to that new club, but it kinda sucked, so we dipped and went to go grab some snack at the convenience store. I’m sorry that you weren’t feeling up to it last night, are you feeling better now?” Neil smiled at me. 

I nodded. His smile was cute. Like  _ really  _ cute. “Um, yeah. Hey, when it opens, you wanna go to the fair?”

“Oh, sure! That sounds like fun! I have to get to class now, though. See you at lunch!”

“Bye!”

If Neil noticed that I had the biggest gayest crush on him, he was a really good actor, if he didn’t, he was a dumbass. Even Nikki had figured out what was up and pestered me about it all the damn time.

I walked into English and sat down in my chair. Nikki leaned over to me.

“What’s up, Maxaroni?”

“Nothing much.”

“Are you feeling better today?”

“Yeah. Neil told me the club sucked.”

“Yeah, you’re lucky you stayed home. Some guy almost vomited all over me and then started hitting on me. He was like twenty five!”

“Yikes.”

“So, anyways, I heard the fair opens on Friday.”

“Yeah. I asked Neil if he wanted to go and he said yes.”

“Ooooh, the fair, the most romantic place of all!”

“I can think of more romantic places.”

“Whatever. So, you two gonna kiss on the Ferris wheel or sumthin?”

“Nikki, shut up! Neil clearly doesn't like me or at least doesn’t know I like him!”

“Max, don’t be such a downer! I’m not gonna tell you to just be happy or stop being shy, but you’re never going to get that weight of he loves me, he loves me not off your shoulders if you don’t ask him!”

“Fine, I’ll ask him out. But I’m not going to be all sappy about it.”

“Alright.”

The day went by like it always does and I got home. I pulled out my homework and sat down to do it.

I hated to be  _ that  _ person, but when was I gonna use this shit? I’d probably kill myself or be killed by my parents before I got to.

I finished and got on my phone to text Neil. Neil had given it to me when he got an upgrade and I had kept it hidden from my parents ever since. We chatted about to fair and stuff like that.

It was nice to talk to Neil. Sure, I liked talking to Nikki and Nerris and Harrison, but I wasn’t in love with them. It was like our own little world, as cliche as that sounded.

There was a knock at my door and I hid my phone away, putting it on silent mode.

It was my mother. Well, the woman whose womb I came out of and from that moment on made a silent agreement with to never give a shit about each other that  _ called  _ herself my mother.

“Max, give it to me.”

“Give what to you?”

“Your phone. I know you have one. Max the internet is a dangerous place. I’m only looking out for you.”

“I have no idea what you're talking about.”

“Max I heard the sound of texts going back and forth, now give me the phone or there will be consequences.”

I didn’t know what the fuck to consequences were, but I know sure as hell that they weren’t pretty. I handed her my phone and she immediately threw it on the ground and stepped on it.

I had to silently watch and try not to cry as all contact with my internet friends was lost.

“That’s enough of that.”

I closed my door and laid down on my bed. I knew if I cried they’d hear me crying and tell me to shut the fuck up. Why did they have a fucking kid in the first place if they were just going to treat him like shit the whole time and neglect him?

I should’ve turned to David for help when I had the chance. Now there was no way he could help. I was too scared of what would happen. Now I was a junior, almost an adult. David couldn’t do shit anymore. I remembered I called him once in middle school to see how he was doing, and I did make him suspicious with the things that I told him, but I said that everything was fine when it wasn’t. I almost reached for my phone to call him now, but I remembered what just happened to it. God, I needed to stop this. Stop thinking about other shit when I was sad. It just made me more stressed and angry and sad.

Night came and there was Neil’s signature knock on my window. I opened it and let him inside, not nothing to close it and risk making too much noise again.

“Max, are you okay? I thought you’d gotten hurt or worse when you didn’t answer my texts!”

“My mom smashed my fucking phone!” I whisper yelled. “I should’ve told David about everything when I had the chance! I should’ve told him about the neglect! And the abuse! And every sweet little detail in between. I fucking hate my parents and I hate myself and I hate the world!”

Neil tried to grab my shoulders, but missed as I collapsed onto my bed. He sat down next to me and pulled me into a hug. I knew we were friends and friends hugged, but damn if that hug didn’t make me want to melt!

“Hey… it’s gonna be alright. Just one more year, then you’re an adult. You can live wherever you want. You could come live with me if you wanted.”

“You mean it?”

“Of course I do. You don’t deserve this treatment, especially from your own parents. Your birthday is during the summer, right? Twenty first of June?”

“Yeah.”

“Well come to my house that night and you can live with me. My parents won’t mind.”

“Okay.” I said, holding back an I love you.

The hug lasted longer than a friend hug, but maybe that was because I basically shattered into a million pieces in front of my best friend. 

That… that sounded like a good plan. And school ended in a week. So I’d just have to wait about a month. That sounded good.


	3. The Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Neil go to the fair and Max finally confessed his feelings at the top of the Ferris wheel.

The night of the fair. Also the day that school got out. I wonder if they did that on purpose to capitalize on families and teens. Whatever, I took off the tee shirt I wore to school and put on my nicest sweater. I grabbed some cash and checked for a third time that my parents were asleep, and jumped out of my window and walked to the fair.

It wasn’t far from my house, so it took me less time to get there. There was no ticket for entry, which was good, so I waited by the entrance. 

Neil jumped out of the car with Nikki, Nerris, and Harrison. Nerris noticed me first and ran up to me. “Max! You old troll you made it! I didn’t think you would come!”

“Yeah, my parents are strict, but dumb.”

“Come on, guys, let's go on the Ferris wheel! I call riding with Nerris!” Nikki said, giving me a sly look. Bitch.

Neil grabbed my shoulder. “Looks like Harrison is gonna have to ride with a stranger. Let’s go guys.”

“Aww, come on! None of you want to ride with me?” 

We walked to the Ferris wheel and I gave Nikki one last glare. We all paid to ride and it started.

I looked at the view. It was pretty. 

… You’re not doing this for Nikki, you’re doing this to get out of the hellhole you call home. 

“Neil?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, you turn rainy days into sunny ones filled with flowers and all the happy shit on Earth, and I guess what I’m trying to say is I love you! More than anything else in the world.”

“Wow. Nobody’s ever said anything like that to me. I never really thought about you like that, but… I dunno. I guess… I like you too?”

Neil side hugged me and I nuzzled in closer. I never had somebody that loved me like this before. I never even had somebody who loved me. This… this felt good. It felt right.

We got off and Nikki happily skipped up to me. “Sooooo?”

“You’re so annoying…. and I did it for myself, not for you!! But yes, I asked him.”

Nikki inhaled and waved her hands in front of her mouth. “Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Did you two kiss?!”

“No.”

Nikki shoved me and Neil closer. “There’s still time!”

“Nikki, quit it. Let’s go get corn dogs.” Nerris said, pulling Nikki away. 

I always admired and envied their relationship at the same time. Love was so easy for them. But now, I didn’t have to. Because I had Neil. And he was all I needed for the rest of my life.

We got some corn dogs, went on a few rides, and played some games. I won Neil a huge dog stuffed animal and he insisted that he win me something, but I told him that if he did my parents would find out I was at the fair.

“Okay, how about I win you something and keep it at my house until you come?”

“I’d like that.”

He won me a bear and I carried it as we walked back to the car. “You could’ve asked me for a ride on the way over.”   
  


“No, it’s fine. I was energized and it was so close to my house.”

We drove to my house and I got out, making sure to kiss Neil before I climbed back into my window.

I fell asleep, imagining what would happen in just a month.


	4. Thinking About Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max thinks about stuff. I dunno, yeah it’s kind of filler.

The next day I sat in my room and just thought. I thought about what happened when I got out of the car.

It was just one kiss, it shouldn’t have made me this happy. Oh, but it did. 

It wasn’t long, but it wasn’t exactly short either. ...That’s what she said.

I felt like I had unlocked a new stage of my life. I felt like I could do anything. Anything but escape my awful parents. 

I had to wait until I was eighteen. I was almost an adult. I could almost make my own decisions. I could almost stick it to the people that had mistreated and abused and neglected me. 

But for now, I just had to think about a kiss, and that kept me going.

Just thinking about how natural it was… how our lips just met and that was that. It’s funny how kisses work, actually.

You put your mouth on somebody else’s mouth and that’s one of the highest forms of love. I guess the highest being sex. Which is also weird. Put one body part inside another body part and boom, soulmates. Except if you’re a hooker or something. I mean I guess you and a hooker  _ can  _ be soulmates, but that’s a really stupid thing to do unless you were already soulmates. Alright! No more thinking about hookers!

Love is weird. The word is just thrown around. “I love my boyfriend!” “I love this food!” “I love my son!” 

But I guess it all sort of means the same thing: Liking something, extremely.

Ugh, overthinking shit made my head hurt.

I wondered what Neil was doing. Probably some nerd shit. And the nerd shit he was probably doing, was probably adorable.

Even his rants about stuff I didn’t even pay attention to were adorable. He was like a little angry kitten! I wished I could’ve seen his face then. His bouncy hair, his blue eyes, his adorable smile, his whole fucking face. 

Wow, being in love was the best thing that ever happened to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a short chapter!!


	5. Neil’s house

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max escapes and runs away to Neil’s house. After a phone call with David, he decides that he wants to live with him instead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it weird that writing this all in one go is making me kinda sad? Like no waiting for updates or anything, and it’s over so fast. Is that weird?

Finally! Fucking finally!

The night of my birthday! 

I was eighteen, a legal adult, able to make my own decisions!

I packed up all of my shit (which wasn’t a lot of stuff) and headed out to go to Neil’s house. 

I rang the doorbell and waited for an answer. Neil answered and hugged me. “I talked things over with my dad, and you can stay! Come on! Come inside!”

I was pulled inside and led upstairs. A voice came from one of the rooms. “Who was it?”

“It was Max!”

“Oh! Tell him I say hi!”

“Dad, he can hear you!”

“Hi, Max!”

“Hi Carl!” I yelled. 

Neil rolled his eyes and took me into his room. I set my bags down and picked up the bear. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Can I use your phone? There’s somebody I want to call.”

“Oh, sure.”

I dialed David’s number and waited. Neil stepped out of the room to give me some privacy.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this David?”

“Oh, no, sorry this is his husband. Hold on, I’ll wake him up.”

Right, I forgot David was married. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, David, it’s me, Max.”

“Oh, hey Max! I’m so glad you called! I haven’t heard from you in forever!”

“Yeah. Remember how I said that everything was fine?”

“Mm hmm.”

“Well it wasn’t. I should’ve told you when I had the chance, but I was abused and neglected and all around mistreated. I’m so sorry for not coming to you about it, but I was so scared. It’s my eighteenth birthday today, so I ran away from home and I’m at Neil’s.”

“Oh, Max, I’m so sorry. It’s not your fault that you were scared. If you ever need anything I’m right here. I could give you my address if you need somewhere to stay. Also happy birthday!”

Right, classic David, always switching subjects faster than light. On one hand, Neil said I could stay with him, on the other hand I didn’t want to inconvenience him or Carl.

“I’ll call you back, Davey. I need to talk to Neil.”

“Alright, Max.”

I hung up and walked into the hallway. Neil looked at me expectantly. “I think I’m gonna go live with David.” I said, taking his hands. Neil’s eyes grew wide and sparkled with confusion. 

“I already said you could stay here.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to inconvenience you or Carl, and it’s not like I’m moving states. I actually think that he lives in the same neighborhood.”

“Okay… if you say so. I’ll tell dad in the morning and I can drive you there. I think he’ll be happy that he doesn’t have to take care of two teenage boys on his own.” Neil laughed. 

I kissed him again, this time longer than the last. Neil put his hands on my back and I placed mine on his shoulders.

I walked back into Neil’s room to call David. I redialed the number.

“Max again. Could I stay with you? I promise I won’t cause any trouble and as soon as I get a job and—“

“Of course you can stay with us, Max! And hey, don’t think of us as your old camp counselors, think of us as your second parents.”

“More like my only parents. Those sacks of shit that raised me mean nothing to me.”

“Language, Max.”

“See you tomorrow, Davey.”

“See you tomorrow, Maxie.”

I hung up again and let Neil back in.

I took off my hoodie and laid down on his bed. Is this what a soft bed felt like? Wonderful, amazing, never getting up again, ever.

Neil laid down next to me. “Tired?”

“Extremely.”

“Alright. I love you, goodnight.”

I liked that. I had never had anybody tell me I love you and goodnight in the same sentence. Neil turned off the light and got under the blanket with me. 

For once in my life, I fell asleep peacefully. Knowing I was safe in a soft warm bed next to somebody that cared about me. I waited eighteen long and painful years for this, and damn did I deserve it.


	6. David’s House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max goes to David’s house.

The next morning I woke up and stretched. It felt weird. I was still me, and yet I was waking up happy.

Neil was already out of the room, so I got dressed and walked downstairs. 

He was in the living room, watching some show on TV. “Heya, Maxie.”

“Don’t  _ call  _ me that!”

“Hey, there’s the Max I know and love. I was beginning to think that you’d been replaced by some happy sappy alien.”

“I second that.”

“You wanna leave now or later?”

“Now would be good.”

“Alright.”

I ran back upstairs to get my bags and my bear (whom I lovingly named Yogi) and came back downstairs. I got in Neil’s car and we drove to the address that David gave us. I was terrified at first that we’d end up at the wrong house and embarrass ourselves, but once we got to the point, we immediately knew it was David’s house. 

Yep, pride flag, trans flag, plants everywhere. No doubt David lived in that house.

I kissed Neil  _ again _ . “Hey, thanks for everything. You’re the one who gave me the idea to run away in the first place. Without you, I think I would’ve never made it. I don’t know what’s gonna happen next, but I’m sure it’ll be alright. I love you. And don’t you  _ ever  _ forget it.” I added, jumping out of the car.

I ran the doorbell and Jasper answered. “Max! Welcome home, buddy! Davey’s in the kitchen making breakfast. Come on in! Oh, and hi Neil!”

I waved goodbye to Neil and walked inside. Wow… 

I walked into the kitchen where sure enough, David was preparing breakfast. “Max! You made it! Oh I would hug you so hard right now if I wasn’t cooking. Jasper! Can you hug Max for me?”

Jasper ran up to me and gave me a squeeze. 

What else could I expect from a household ran by the biggest, goofiest, sweetest nut jobs in history?

I was home. I was finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Max loves his adorable little gay dads.


	7. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max is finally 100% happy.

The next morning I woke up and stretched. It felt weird. I was still me, and yet I was waking up happy.

Neil was already out of the room, so I got dressed and walked downstairs. 

He was in the living room, watching some show on TV. “Heya, Maxie.”

“Don’t  _ call  _ me that!”

“Hey, there’s the Max I know and love. I was beginning to think that you’d been replaced by some happy sappy alien.”

“I second that.”

“You wanna leave now or later?”

“Now would be good.”

“Alright.”

I ran back upstairs to get my bags and my bear (whom I lovingly named Yogi) and came back downstairs. I got in Neil’s car and we drove to the address that David gave us. I was terrified at first that we’d end up at the wrong house and embarrass ourselves, but once we got to the point, we immediately knew it was David’s house. 

Yep, pride flag, trans flag, plants everywhere. No doubt David lived in that house.

I kissed Neil  _ again _ . “Hey, thanks for everything. You’re the one who gave me the idea to run away in the first place. Without you, I think I would’ve never made it. I don’t know what’s gonna happen next, but I’m sure it’ll be alright. I love you. And don’t you  _ ever  _ forget it.” I added, jumping out of the car.

I ran the doorbell and Jasper answered. “Max! Welcome home, buddy! Davey’s in the kitchen making breakfast. Come on in! Oh, and hi Neil!”

I waved goodbye to Neil and walked inside. Wow… 

I walked into the kitchen where sure enough, David was preparing breakfast. “Max! You made it! Oh I would hug you so hard right now if I wasn’t cooking. Jasper! Can you hug Max for me?”

Jasper ran up to me and gave me a squeeze. 

What else could I expect from a household ran by the biggest, goofiest, sweetest nut jobs in history?

I was home. I was finally home.

  
  
  


I put down my bags and Yogi and sat down to eat breakfast. 

“Max how have things been?” David asked. He hadn’t changed a bit in eight years.

“Pretty good recently. I escaped my awful parents, got a boyfriend, got a kickass bear stuffed animal!”

“Righteous!” Jasper exclaimed. 

I looked around at David’s house.

“Has anything happened with you guys?”

“Well, we got married, but I already told you that. I’m still working at the camp, but during the non summer months I work as a park ranger!”

“How’s Gwen?”

“Ah, she quit two years after you left. We’re still friends though!”

“Anymore crazy cult shit?”

“No, but we did see a cosplayer, does that count?” Jasper asked.

I snickered. 

“I’m glad you came to us, Max. I know things must be tough for you, but we’re always here to help. I’m just sorry we couldn’t help out sooner.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m the one who lied about everything being fine. Thank you for letting me stay here though. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had to spend another  _ minute  _ with those assholes!”

David opened his mouth, probably to say something like “Language.” but closed it, and smiled instead. 

The phone rang.

“Bellcamp-McElroy residence, David speaking.”

…

“Um… oh. Who are you?”

…

“Correct.”

…

“No, ma’am. I haven’t seen him. But isn’t he an adult?”

…

“Okay, no need to get angry ma’am. But I haven’t seen him.”

…

“She hung up.”

That… that conversation sounded bad and about me, like most conversations about me were.

“That was Max’s mom, wasn’t it?”

“Yep. But Max is an adult. I don’t care if he’s her son and supposedly has the right to know where he is, that woman isn’t going to take you away from us.”

I smiled at David. Reassurance, I’d never really had that before.

I called Neil and told him about the situation as I sat in the guest bedroom, cuddling Mr. Honeynuts. 

“But he said that and I quote ‘that woman isn’t going to take you away from us.’ So that’s good I think.”

“If you say so. I just want you to be safe, Max. I love you.”

“I know, I know, and I love you too. Trust me, everything is going to work out fine.”

“Alright. Bye!”

“Bye.”

I walked back downstairs and handed David his phone back. Jesus, did every house in this neighborhood have stairs?

I guess it was a pretty wealthy neighborhood. 

I sat down on the couch between Jasper and David. They were watching some game show. I didn’t get it, but I think that they were setting stuff on fire. Eh, the audience was entertained, so so was I.

I couldn’t believe it. I was home. I was home with two parents that loved me, that gave me food and a place to stay, and a boyfriend that loved me just as much. 

I wasn’t even concerned about my parents finding me, I was an adult, I could make my own choices.

It felt weird to say, but I was finally 100% happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end :)

**Author's Note:**

> This is just the intro, so yeah it’s kinda short.


End file.
